Drinks all round as Machin gets ready to ride into sunset

Tigers’ owner Neil Machin has revealed there has been interest in taking over the club ahead of tonight’s Retro Cup clash with Scunthorpe at Owlerton (7.45).

Machin is ready to step aside after 21 years in charge which means tonight’s meeting could signal the end of an era. And he has invited all paying adults to have a drink on him as a £3 drinks voucher will be handed out at the turnstiles as a thank you.

He said: “There have been interested parties, including enquiries from Europe and even Australia, but at this stage there’s little to say apart from the fact that once the season has finished I’ll sort out the wheat from the chaff. It is still early days and I have been encouraged from what I’ve heard.

“When I took over it was with the intention of making sure there was continuity — and that’s the case now. Whoever comes in will take over a company which is all ready to operate from day one, with no skeletons in the cupboard.

“Owlerton is a great venue, we all saw that at the PLRC on Sunday, and the people of Sheffield are lucky to have it. People are fishing around but one clear factor is that there are concerns and most centre on the unsure future of the sport right now, rather than any worries about the venue.”

Tigers have booked Kevin Doolan as a guest replacement for the injured Simon Stead and they will use the rider replacement facility for Adam Roynon. “Every full paying adult will receive a £3 drinks voucher at the turnstiles, so have a drink on me,” said Machin. “After over 21 years of promoting speedway at Sheffield, it seems like a logical thing to do. I could not have done this job for so long without the support of those many people who have been present through thick and thin and this occasion marks a journey which has twisted and turned throughout.”